The Irish standard., 1887-06-25
IN INTERESTING COUNTRY.

An INTERESTING COUNTRY.
(Hon. NJ. C. Quinn, in the Rocky Mountain Celt.
We know of no more interesting coun
try than Ireland. It's history is mos
romantic. Many who deem themselve,
intelligent, know little Of the history o
the country, nor have any desire to know
it's true history which is worse. ireland
had really royal career, when many o
the nations which the world admires to-
day were in q state Of low groveling bar
barism.
Long before Christianity was estab
ished there, she was in high state o1
civilization. The arts and sciences were
cultivated. and her poets and musicians
accorded high privileges, in fact her men
of genius were placed in point of de.
stincton next to royalty itself. In those
times the Druids were teachers of morals,
science and language, and were indeed
worthy predecessors to the pious
monks of Christianity who succeeded
them. English history tells us that
those teachers were 'sthe most learned
body Of men in Europe.'' that "they
were eminently versed in astronomy and
Grecian literature and stood unrivaled
in the cultivation of letters" Women
were highly respected, crime severely
punished, virtue rewarded, valor ex-
alted, and the rulers chosen on account
of their merits. In fact Ireland while
yet Pagan, was an enlightened state,
with principles and systems Of govern
ment much like those which prevail in
our own republic.
With Christianity the Druidical sys-
tenn passed away in a quiet manner,
with no strain Of violence to the Social
system, leaving the mission of the Druid
ical priests to be better performed by
their Christian successors.
Then. indeed, did the fame of Ireland
spread far and wide. for the excellence
of it's schools and colleges, from which
went forth thousands of learned and
pious pioneers to preach and
teach in all lands. Other nations sent
pirates to Ireland for pillage. Ireland
sent to them priests and teachers to ad-
vance civilization, improve morals and
to teach the way to the cross.
The Count de Montalambert, in his
great work on the '.Monk of the West"
speaking of Ireland says: ''In that
country were trained an entire popula-
tion of philosophers, writer's, architects,
carvers, painters, caligraphers, mu-
sicians, poets ana historians, but, above
all missionaries and teachers, destined
to spread the light Of the gospel and
Christian education, not only in all the
Celtic countries, of which ireland was
always the nursing mother, throughout
Europe, among all the Teutonic races,
among the Franks and Burgundians, as
we'll as amid the dwellers by the Rhine
and Danube and up to the frontiers of
Italy," Strange as it may appear to
many in our day. it is nevertheless true
that England, the nation that has for
centuries been the proud and disdainf:l
oppressor of Ireland, is indebted for her
civilization, learning and former Chris
tianity more to Ireland than to all the
world beside.
The Venerable Bede Gan Englishman)
tells us that many of his countrymen
who went to Ireland to cultivate the
sacred studies, sswere cheerfully received
and supplied with books and teachers
gratutiously.''
Ireland was then populous and blessed
with happy, pious, enlightened peo-
pie. Her sons were noted for bravery
her daughters for purity, and all
famed for hospitality and generosity.
Ou0 VI u01 SOu6 III 11O1A0 III U44O AAAVA4 |
century, as truly as sweetly wrote OF
that then tamous isle the following lines:
''Far westward lies an isle of ancient fame
By nature blessed, and Erin is her name;
An island rich, exhaustless in her store
OF veiny silver and of golden ore.
Her fruitful soil forever teens with wealth,
With fish her waters, and her air with health,
Her vertlant fields with milk and honey flow,
Her woody fleeces vie with virgin snow"
Her waving furrows float with bearded corn.
And arms and arts her envie sons adorn.
No savage bear with lawless fury toves,
No raving lion through her sacred groves;
No poison there infects; no scaly snake
Creeps through the grass, nor toad annoys the
lake.
An island worthy Of it's pious race,
In war triumphant, and unmatched in peace"
This beautiful picture Of Ireland
drawn in the ninth century would be in
the man true to-day if foolish dissen-
sions among her people had not opened
the door to a cruel, despoiling stranger
"a door that with all efforts and sacri-